Umpires Wearing Pink To Promote Cancer Awareness In Westchester

YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y. - Umpires in the area have been wearing pink shirts on baseball diamonds since Mother's Day, as part of their own Baseball Awareness Against Cancer push.

Umpire Steve Rosen has been wearing pink to games, as umpires promote cancer awareness.
Photo Credit: *Skip Pearlman*

Umpire Earl Berry wears pink in the Yorktown-Somers baseball game Saturday.
Photo Credit: *Skip Pearlman*

Skip Pearlman

05/17/2015 9:30 a.m.

The effort will continue until the upcoming Relay for Life events in the area.

"We started the program four years ago, after the death of my wife, in Oct. 2010," umpire Joe Racioppo told Daily Voice. "She battled cancer for 10 years. I thought it would be fitting to direct the umpires' effort during the week of Mother's Day to have people take notice of the importance of the people around them who have been affected by cancer.

"It was a movement done with 100 percent of our board members and accepted by coaches, players and their school districts.

"Umpires wearing pink shirts at games provide the perfect backdrop for spectators to engage in conversations with umpires before and after games," Racioppo added. "We have an umpire's dinner at season's end, and have "The Pretty In Pink Award" - given out to the umpire looking his best during game time or in the middle of making a safe/out call."

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